The disbelievers in Makah demanded from Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him to show them some extraordinary things as a condition for their belief, such as:

-         To move the mountains away from Makah.

-         To make the land around them flat and suitable for cultivation, so that they may grow food.

-         To let there be rivers around them as in other countries.

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “But I bring you what Allah sent me with, and I have delivered the message Allah has sent me with, if you accept it, this will be your good share of this life and the Hereafter, and if you reject, I will be patient and persevere with Allah’s command, until Allah rules out between us”. 

-         Then they asked him to let their punishment be sooner as a sign that he is truthful, or to let them see stairs rising in the heavens and him climbing up the stairs.  Then to bring back a written copy of the Quran, and to come accompanied by four Angels.

Imam Ahmed related: “The people of Qurish said to Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him: ‘Ask your Lord to let the Hill of Safa turn into gold and we will believe for you’ He said: ‘Will you?’  They said:’ yes’.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him then asked his Lord.  Gabriel peace upon him came and said to him: “Your Lord is sending his greetings and say: “I you desire, I will turn the Safa into gold, but if any one does not believe after this, I will punish his with such punishment that no one else has even been punished with, or if you desire, I will open the gates for Mercy and Pardoning?” He prayer and peace upon him said: “But Mercy and Pardoning”.

And Ahmed And Nesae reported that Abd Allah Ibn Abas said: “The people of Makah asked Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him to turn Safa into gold, and to turn the mountains away so that they may cultivate the land, and the answer was: “If you will give them more time, and if you will we will give them what they asked for, but if they disbelieve then, they will perish as other nations before them were destroyed?”  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: ‘I will give them more time”.  Allah the Highest then sent down the following Quran: “AND WHAT STOPPED US SENDING THE SIGNS IS THAT THE EARLIER PEOPLE REJECTED THEM, AND WE HAVE GIVEN THEMOD THE FEMALE CAMEL TO BE SEEN CLEARLY, BUT THEY DID IT WRONG, FOR WE SEND THE SIGNS ONLY TO STRIKE FEAR”.  (S: 17 A: 59)

It was also reported that the disbelievers in Makah also sent two of their nobles to meet the Rabbis of the Jews in Yathrib (Medina) to ask them about Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him.  They told them to ask him about three things, only known to a prophet: young men who were in the early times and what happened to them and a man who wondered throughout the Earth, east and west, and to ask him about the soul”

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him promised to answer them next day, but he did not say Allah willing.  He did not have any revelations to answer them with for 15 days, then Allah the Highest sent: “AND DO NOT SAY ABOUT ANY THING THAT I WILL DO THIS TOMORROW * ONLY IF ALLAH IS WILLING, AND REMEMBER YOUR LORD IF YOU FORGET AND SAY: ‘MY LORD MAY GUIDE ME TO A BETTER GUIDANCE THAN THAT”.  (S: 18 A: 23, 24)

Allah the Highest also sent His messenger prayer and peace upon him Quran answering their questions; first the young men of the early times, saying: “OR DID YOU THINK THAT THOSE OF THE CAVE AND THE TABLET IN WHICH THEIR NAMES AND DESCENT IS WRITTEN ARE OF OUR AMAZING SIGNS * AS THE YOUNG MEN SOUGHT SHELTER IN THE CAVE AND SAID: ‘OUR LORD, GIVE US MERCY FROM YOU AND GUIDE US TO THE RIGHT WAY IN WHAT WE ARE DOING * ……………….”  (S: 18 A: from 9)

And then about the man who wondered through the Earth and east and west: “AND THEY ASK YOU ABOUT THE ONE WITH TWO HORNS, SAY: I WILL RECITE SOMETHING ABOUT HIM * …..” (S: 18 A: from 83)

And about the soul, Allah the Highest said: “AND THEY ASK YOU ABOUT THE SOUL, SAY: THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOUL IS WITH MY LORD, AND YOU WERE GIVEN ONLY LITTLE KNOWLEDGE”.  (S: 17 A: 85)

It is reported in both Bukhari and Muslim that the Jews of Medina asked Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him these questions when he migrated to Medina.  Although he gave them the right answers, yet only a few of them believed. 

The Torture of the Muslims

The disbeliever’s resistance of the spread of Islam took a new turning when they started to torture the Muslim.  Each tribe started torturing the slaves and the week of their Muslims.  They were imprisoned, flogged and left without food or water, and at times left in the extreme heat of the desert without water.  I will mention some examples:

Belal Ibn Rabah: 

Belal was a slave owned by some people from Bani Jamh, and his mother’s name was Hamamah.  Belal was very pure hearted and sincere in his faith.  Omyah Ibn Khalaf used to take his to the desert when it is very hot and place a large stone on his chest and order his to disbelieve and to leave the faith of Mohamed and worship Al-Lat and Oza, but Belal will only say: “Ahad, Ahad”  (Meaning Allah is one and only)

One day Abu Bakr saw his being tortured, he took him from Omyah in exchange for another slave, then Abu Bakr let him free.

Abu Bakr bought with his money a number of slaves, men and women who were Muslims and sat them free, of them; Belal, Emarah, Om Amees, who was blinded but Allah restored her eyesight.  Also bout a woman slave called Nahdiah and her daughter.  He also bought a woman slave from Bani Moamel, whom Omar used to flog her before he became Muslim.

Abu Bakr’s father Abu Kohafa used to advise him to buy the strongest men slaves, who would be able to help and protect them, however, Abu Bakr was seeking to please Allah the Highest and to his reward, therefore he bought those who suffer.  Allah the Highest sent down Quran about him saying: “AS FOR HIM WHO GIVE AND IS PIOUS * AND BELIEVE IN WHAT IS RIGHTEOUS * WE WILL EASE HIS WAY TO WHAT ID GOOD * ……….”  (S:92 A:5,6)

Abu Jahl was the worst in torturing the Muslims and persecuting them.  If the Muslim was strong and his family protected him him, he would verbally abuse them; otherwise, he would hit and flog.

Bano Makhzoom used to take Amar Ibn Yasser and his father and his mother Somayah, they were all Muslims, and they would take them out in the midday heat and torture them.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him passed by them once and said: “Be patient and persevere family of Yasser, for your place is the Paradise”

On another occasion he said: “Good news Yasser’s family, your place is the Paradise”.

Abu Jahl killed Somayah with a spear penetrating her from the front.

The Muslims who were tortured less used to be unable to just site up due to pain, or thirst and hunger.

The Disbelievers hear the Quran and Prostrate

On another occasion, Otba Ibn Rabae went to speak to Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him and repeated their offer to make him their king, and the wealthiest man etc.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him listened then started to recite Sorat Foselat saying: “IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE.  IT IS SENT DOWN FROM THE MOST MERCIFUL THE COMPASSIONATE * A BOOK AND its AYAHS ARE CLEAR AND IN ARABIC ………..”

Otba went on listening, put his hands on the floor behind him and rested his weight on his arms listening, until Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him finished reciting then he went back to his companions.  He told them that these words were neither poetry nor what they used to hear from the temples priests.  He advise them to leave him alone and not to harm him, then should he become stronger and prevails, they should follow him then, if he does not, then they have been saved the trouble.  They did not like what he said.

One night, Abu Sofian and Abu Jahl and Al-Akhnas went out each from their own houses, alone and unknown to each other, and they sat near Allah’s messenger’s house to listen to him reciting the Quran while praying.  In the morning, they saw each other and they blamed each other and promised each other not to repeat this.  The same thing happened next night and the third night.  Al-Akhnas went to Abu Sofian to ask him about what he heard, and Abu Sofian said that he heard and understood what he heard, but did not elaborate any further.  Then he went to Abu Jahl and asked him the same question, and he had the same answer.

Abu Sofian and Abu Jahl mocked Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him saying that didn’t Allah have found better than Mohamed to make a prophet, which upset Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him.  Allah the Highest then sent him a Quran saying: “AND WHEN THEY SEE YOU THEY MOCK YOU (SAYING): IS THIS WHOM ALLAH SENT TO BE A MESSENGER * HE ALMOST LEAD US AWAY FROM OUR GODS, IF WE DID NOT PERSEVERE WITH THEM, BUT THEY WILL KNOW WHEN THEY SEE THE PUNISHMENT WHO IS THE MOST MISGUIDED”  (S:25 A:41-42)

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him used to raise his voice reciting the Quran when he led his companions in Salah.  He was trying to let the disbelievers hear.  However, when they heard the Quran they used to swear at and insult the Quran.  Allah the Highest then sent him further instructions regarding reciting the Quran.  “SAY: CALL UPON ALLAH OR CALL UPON THE MERCIFUL, WHOEVER YOU MAY CALL FOR HE HAS THE GOOD NAMES, AND DO NOT RAISE YOUR VOICE RECITING THE QURAN AND DO NOT WHISPER IT AND SEEK SOMETHING IN BETWEEN” (S: 17 A: 110)

Abd Allah Ibn Masoud Reciting the Quran Loud:

The first of Allah’s messenger’s companions to have recited the Quran out loud was Abd Allah Ibn Masoud.  He went out to the Kabba, and when he reached Maqam Ibrahim he started reciting Sorat Al-Rahman “THE MERCIFUL * HE TAUGHT THE QURAN, HE CREATED MAN * TAUGHT HIM TO SPEAK * …………….”  When they heard him, they went on beaten him up, and he continued to recite the Quran, until he could not any more, then he stopped.  He was then the only one to have recited the Quran out loud in public after Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him.

When The People of Makah Prostrated:

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him sat by the Kabba one day and started to recite Sorah Al-Najm.  Every one around, believers or disbelievers sat and listened and they were taken by the Sorah.

When Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him reached the end of the Sorah which had a prostration (Sajda), he prostrated and every one else believers and disbelievers prostrated.  Some of the Muslims thought that this was a sign that they all embraced Islam, but it was not, Even though even the disbelievers were so moved by this Sorah.

Dr Ahmed Saafan